William ran kin



No. 625,059. Patanted May I6, |899. W. RANKIN.

PBUPELLING MECHANISM FOR BOATS.

(Application led Dec. 15, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(N0 Model.)

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No. 625,059. Patented may le, |8199. w. RANKIN. PBOPELLING MEGHANISM FRBOATS.

(Application ld Dec. 15, 1897.)

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(No Model.)

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NiTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM RANKIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO MATTHEWRANKIN, OF SAME PLACE;

PRoPsLLlNG MECHANISM FOR BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,059, dated May' 1G,1899.

Application liilefl December 15, 1897. Serial No. 661,934. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RANKIN, ofY

by a boat may be readily and convenientlyv propelled by hand-power.

To this end my invention consists in certain novel'features,which I willnow proceed to describe and will then particularly point out in theclaims.

In `the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a plan view of a boathaving my improved propelling mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the same. Fig.` 3 is a plan viewof the propellingmechanism detached from the boat. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of thesame, the propeller and rear portion of the propeller-shaft beingomitted; and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5 5of Fig. 3.

In the said drawings I have shown my invention applied to the propulsionof a boat or launch A, it being adapted for the propulsion 'of boats ofthis general type and character.

B indicates a screw-propeller, which may be of any approved type andwhich is mounted on the end of a propeller-shaft C, which is itselfmounted in bearings C and C2 within the boat. The rear bearingCislocated near the rear end of the shaft, while the front bearing C2 islocated near the front end thereof and mounted on orforminga part ofaframework or support D, which carries a portion of the actuatingmechanism. The bearings C' C2 are preferably ball-bearing, as shown, forthe purpose of reducing the friction and end thrust to a minimum. Theshaft C is provided witha bevel-gear C3 on its front end within theframe D.

F. indicates a transverse shaft mounted in the framing or support D andprovided with a bevel-gear E', which meshes with the bevelgear Cson theshaft C, said shaft E being also provided with a pinion E2, which mesheswith a gear F on a second transverse shaft F', also mounted in suitablebearings in the framing D. The shaft F is' provided with a fly-wheel F2for giving steadiness and continuity ot' motion and also has secured onit a crankwheel F3, provided witha crank-pin F4,wl1ichy is connected bya pitman G to a hand-lever I'I, fulcrumed at its lower end in a suitablebearing 72, and provided at its upper end with a suitable handle h', bymeans of which it may be vibrated. The boat A is. provided with a seat Aadjacent to and in the rear of the lever II, whereby the operator,occupying said seat, may be in convenient reach of said lever.

It will be seen that when the lever I'I is vibrated or moved back andforward upon its fulcrum rotary motion will be imparted by the pitman Gand crank-wheel F3 to the shaft F', and thence at an increased rate ofspeed to the shaft E, which latter in turn causes the propeller-shaftCto rotate at a still higher rate of speed. In practice I prefer toprovide the shafts E and F with ball-bearings e of anysuitableconstruction-such, for instance, as that shown in detail in Fig. 3 ofthe drawlngs.

In order to provide continuity and smoothness of movement, I provide aspring-equalizing mechanism constructed in the following manner: One ofthe rotating parts, in this instance thev fly-wheel F2, is provided withan eccentric-pin I, which engages a block J, mounted to slidehorizontally in a guideway or cross-head K. The block .I is providedwith projecting arms j, and on these arms, between said block and therespective ends of the cross-head K, are mounted springs J. Thecross-head K is in turn provided with two pairs of upward and downwardextending guide-rods k,V which pass through suitable aperturedguide-plates or keepers L, mounted respectively at the top and bottom ofa supporting-standard L'. K represents springs mounted on the guide-rodsk between the cross-head K and the guides or keepers L. It will be seenthat as the shaft F rotates the several springs J K are successivelycompressed and expanded, and by this operation they serve to givecontinuity and smoothness to the rotary motion of the shaft F. As afurther and auxiliary device for this purpose I provide in connectionwith the lever H springs M, mounted on a suitable standard M and havingtheir free ends connected by links m to the lever H, these springs beingeach .alternately contracted and expanded by the reciprocation of thelever and serving, further, to insure continuity and. smoothness ofInovement and to carry the parts past the deadpoint. By means of themechanism above described a boat may be conveniently and readilypropelled by manual ypower at a high rate of speed with a minimum amountof exertion.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself strictly to theprecise details of construction hereinbefore described, and shown in thedrawings, as it is obvious that the structuremay be modified Withoutdeparting from the principle of my invention.

I claim- 1. A propelling mechanism for boats, comprising apropeller-shaft provided with a screw-propeller, a transverse shaftconnected therewith by suitable gearing and provided with a crank, avibrating hand-lever connect ed with said crank by a pitman, aneccentricpin connected with a rotating part on said shaft, and avertically-reciprocating springcontrolled cross-head, provided with ahorizontally-reciprocating sprin g-controlled block Y therein with whichsaid eccentric-pin engages, substantially as described.

